This year’s Federated Health Charities campaign runs from April 3, 2023, to June 30, 2023. During the campaign, we will highlight how each of our 21 charities works to improve the health and well-being of people across our province.
The eleventh charity in our spotlight is Parkinson Canada. Parkinson Canada has been the voice of people of Canadians living with Parkinson’s disease since 1965, working to empower people with Parkinson’s to live their best lives now.
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic degenerative neurological disease. Movement is normally controlled by dopamine, a chemical that carries signals between the nerves in the brain. When cells that normally produce dopamine die, the symptoms of Parkinson’s appear.
The most common symptoms of Parkinson’s are tremor or shaking, slowness in movements, muscle stiffness and problems with balance. Other symptoms can also occur such as fatigue, difficulties speaking and writing, sleep disorders, loss of sense of smell, depression and cognitive changes. Although there is currently no cure, people can live with Parkinson’s for years.
Most symptoms can be managed with medication and lifestyle changes, however, there are currently no treatments to delay or slow down the progression of the disease. Over time, symptoms will worsen and new ones may appear. This is one of the reasons why people living with Parkinson’s have some of the highest prescription medication and out-of-pocket healthcare costs in Canada.
The fear of the unknown is something that is always at the back of my mind
“Parkinson Canada is an organization that supports people living with Parkinson’s all across the country,” says Karen Lee, CEO of Parkinson Canada. “We do so through various services and programs, all the while trying to find a cure through funding research.”
Canada has one of the highest rates of Parkinson’s in the world, and nearly 50,000 people with Parkinson’s live in Ontario alone. Although most Canadians living with Parkinson’s are over 65, young onset Parkinson’s (before age 40) accounts for between 5-10% of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
Larry Linton, a client of Parkinson Canada, started experiencing symptoms in 2009 and was diagnosed in 2012.
“The fear that I have is the fact that Parkinson’s is incurable,” he says. “I can’t help but think about my future life. But I try and focus on the aspects that I can control and that is living a full life, exercising, living mindfully in the present.”
Parkinson Canada’s programs and services reach over 10,000 people across Canada each year, through support groups, referral services for people recently diagnosed, and educational resources, programs and workshops for people with Parkinson’s, their families, friends and care networks.
“It’s important to support the person with Parkinson’s as well as the community,” says Larry Linton. “I have Parkinson’s but the effect is felt by my family as well. And the support of donors like you, to Parkinson Canada, helps us in the community support.”
Parkinson Canada is also investing in the next generation of researchers and clinicians, funding both new research and advanced clinical training fellowships to help grow the number of specialists to care for people with Parkinson’s while continuing the search for a cure. Since 1981, the Parkinson Canada National Research Program has invested more than $31 million in innovative Canadian research, including more than 600 awards, fellowships, and grants that teach us more about diagnosing and treating Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson Canada joined Federated Health Charities in 2019.
“Federated Health Charities is an important group for us particularly because we can build awareness to the community of public sector,” says Karen Lee. “It’s really important, not only to give but also, it’s really important to understand what is Parkinson’s? And more importantly, how can we raise the voice of people living with Parkinson’s within our community?”
To learn more about Parkinson Canada, please visit Parkinson Canada.
To make a payroll pledge or donation to support Parkinson Canada and Federated Health Charities, please visit Federated Health Charities.